BACK IN THE CIRCUS
Mr. Potter took out pencil and paper and drew a rough sketch. Joe, who
expected to see depicted some rocky gorge, perhaps in the Bronx section
of New York, was surprised to note that the moving picture man drew
what seemed to be two tall buildings on either side of a street.
"That's a queer sort of chasm," Joe said.
"It's about the only kind we have in the lower part of New York," Mr.
Potter answered, with a smile. "The chasm, or canyon, I refer to is
a street in the financial section of the city. There are tall office
buildings on either side of it, but the particular two I have picked
out and sketched here have flat roofs."
He looked at Joe expectantly.
"Go on," suggested the motor-cycle rider.
"I thought you'd need to have a flat roof on which to make a start with
your machine, and another flat roof for a stopping place," proceeded
the moving picture operator. "Now if we stretch a wire from the roof
of one of these buildings to the other, do you think you could ride
across on your machine?"
Joe took the sketch and studied it for a few seconds. The location of
the street was marked, and Joe, who had once or twice been down where
the New York millionaires operate in stocks and bonds, made a mental
picture of the section.
"Will you do it?" asked Mr. Potter. "Wait, though; before you answer
I'd like to state one difficulty. The buildings are over twice as high
as you say you stretch your wire. You'd have to ride across the street
at a height of over one hundred feet in the air."
"Height doesn't bother me," said Joe.
"No, I judged that from your climb up the Flatiron Building. But I
thought I'd mention it so you couldn't say we took advantage of you.
Then you'll ride for us? There'll be five hundred dollars in it for
you, and a good advertisement."
Joe considered for a moment. The money was an inducement, and so was
the advertising. And if a life-net were spread across the street below
him, he was in no more danger than in doing his regular ride. The
flat roofs as an approach and at the end of his wire would make it a
comparatively easy feat.
"Why, yes, if you can arrange it, I'll do it," he said. "That is, after
I finish my Jersey City engagement."
"Oh, yes, that's understood. Besides, we've got to make a little change
in the scenario."
"Scenario?" repeated Joe, in some surprise.
"Yes. You're to have a part in a moving picture story. I didn't mention
it at first, for I knew if you agreed to the main part you wouldn't
balk at the easier end. This is the way it is.
"We have a moving picture story, based on a big robbery in the
financial district of New York. That's why I picked out two office
buildings down near Wall Street. In the story, the hero is supposed to
aid the police after the robbery and help catch the robbers by working
his way hand over hand along a telegraph wire which stretches across
the street. Of course we planned to have a wire of our own, heavier
than a telegraph cable.
"But at the last minute, and when some of the inside stuff of the
pictures had already been made, the actor who played that part refused
to cross on the wire. He said it was too dangerous, and maybe he was
right. Anyhow, he wouldn't do it. We didn't know what to do until
to-day, when I saw you climb the building, and when I heard of your
wire-riding stunt, it occurred to me that you could do the trick for
us."
"But I never acted in the movies, except riding my motor-cycle,"
objected Joe.
"That's all we want you to do here," said Mr. Potter.
"And I don't in the least know how to behave like a hero."
"We'll coach you all right. Hero stuff is the easiest kind there is."
"But if you have some of the pictures made with one man in them, how
are you going to make me fit in--unless I look like the hero you have
been using?"
"You look enough like him for our purposes," said Mr. Potter. "We can
dress you as he was dressed, and as the action will be quick, the
substitution will not be noticed. It is often done in the movies. A
trick rider on a horse, for instance, will double with the hero or
heroine who is not able to make a good fall. Substitution is done
every day. It will be easy in your case. All you'll have to do will
be a little preliminary acting just before you ride across the street
chasm on your machine. Then will come a little bit more at the other
building, and your part is done. It will be a good advertisement for
you, I think."
"I think so, too," agreed Joe. "That's one reason why I'm doing it.
Advertising is money for me. Well, when do I begin?"
"Oh, in about a week. As I said, the scenario, or the plot of the
play, will have to be changed to make it fit. Instead of crossing a
wire by hand, we'll have you cross on the machine. You'll probably
play the part of an inventor of a new kind of motor-cycle. You will
be discovered up on the roof of the building, testing the machine when
the robbery occurs. You are appealed to to ride across on the telegraph
wire (in reality your own wire, strung by yourself) and you do it. It
will make a big hit in the movies."
"Maybe," laughed Joe. "Well, go ahead. I'll do my part."
"Of course there'll be a net below you," said Mr. Potter, "and anything
else in the way of safety you may need. And your own men can stretch
the wire so as to be sure it's all right. So, now that's settled, I'll
go ahead with my part. I'll send one of our assistant directors to
coach you as to the acting in a few days."
Joe was rather pleased, than otherwise, at the opportunity afforded him
for this new publicity. For to a circus performer or an actor publicity
is his means of livelihood. He must be well and favorably known to draw
a good salary.
"And I guess there'll be a good crowd on hand to see me ride," Joe
mused. "The movie people will see to that."
Joe continued riding on the high wire at the Jersey City fair, and
during his spare time he was coached by one of the moving picture
men in the rôle he was to play. The rôle was easy, and the lad soon
mastered it. Then he went down to look at the two buildings, one on
either side of the street across which he was to ride. It was not more
than a hundred and fifty feet--half the distance Joe was accustomed to
ride along the wire on his motor-cycle, but it was over twice as high.
However, as Joe said, that did not trouble him.
The engagement in Jersey City came to an end, and the high-wire
motor-cyclist moved his apparatus over to New York. Of course he would
not need the shears in this case, the wire extending straight out from
each flat roof, being held taut by an ingenious mechanical arrangement
that Joe designed, and which a machinist made for him, the moving
picture people paying the bill.
The roofs were of a smooth concrete mixture, and Joe knew he would have
no trouble riding his machine across them, and on to the wire as well
as off it.
There were some rehearsals up on the roof of the action called for in
the rewritten scenario, and Joe did his part very well.
"We'd make a regular movie actor of you if you'd like that sort of
life," said Mr. Potter, who was much pleased.
"No, I guess I'll stick to my own line," Joe answered.
The day of the thrilling ride came. It had been well advertised, and
big crowds were expected to be on hand in the streets near the scene
of Joe's trip across the municipal chasm. Of course there would be
no money made by the exhibition itself, but the moving picture people
counted on enough interest being aroused in the film to fill the houses
where it should be displayed later.
Several camera men were on hand, for it was one of those acts where a
"re-take" was practically out of the question. Though Joe himself felt
that if he succeeded in riding across the street once, he could do it a
second time, and oftener if necessary.
The wire had been stretched, and Joe had tested it. The cable seemed
all right. Far down in the street below was the life-net, made doubly
secure, for if Joe fell he would fall with more than twice the force
gathered from a fifty-foot drop. Boys who are studying physics can
figure out the difference for themselves.
But the brave youth had no thought of falling. Theoretically, if he
could ride on a wire across a space fifty feet up in the air, he could
do it at more than twice that distance.
Joe had been "made up" to resemble, as nearly as possible, the man who
had acted in the earlier scenes in the moving picture story, and he
felt rather odd with grease paint and a moustache on.
"Are you ready?" asked Mr. Potter of our hero.
"As ready as I ever shall be," Joe coolly answered.
"Go on, then," said the moving picture man. "Action!" he called to his
helpers, for he was not grinding the crank of a camera that day.
The preliminary scenes having been acted in the studio, on this day
the story began in the middle and Joe was discovered on the roof of
the building with his motor-cycle. He pretended to be getting it ready
for an experiment, when a girl (one of the moving picture actresses)
rushed up to him through a scuttle in the roof, and informed him of
the big robbery in one of the banks. The police were after them, but
the robbers had imprisoned the officers in a little room in the top
story of a building across the street. If Joe could ride across on the
telegraph wire, he could open the fastened-down scuttle hatch-cover,
free the police, and so enable them to catch the robbers.
This was enacted to the satisfaction of the director.
"And now for the ride!" cried Mr. Potter. "Action, there, you with the
cameras!"
There was a big and expectant crowd in the streets below. They had seen
nothing of what went on upon the roof, nor were they much interested in
that. What they wanted to see was Joe's ride across the chasm.
The youth jumped to the saddle of his machine and started the motor. A
chalk line had been marked on the roof, and in another instant Joe
was riding along it and toward the wire which stretched out from the
roof of the building where he was to the other across the street.
"Well, here I go!" mused the boy.
The front wheel took the wire. The rear wheel followed. Then the lad
found himself whizzing across the dizzy height, while down below was
the yelling, shouting and cheering throng--an enthusiastic multitude.
[Illustration: Then the lad found himself whizzing across the dizzy
height.]
Joe permitted himself one downward glance; then he fixed his eyes on
the opposite building, where he was to free the officers.
Almost before he knew it he had ridden across the street chasm. He was
on the other roof. The yelling down below continued, but Joe paid no
attention to it--he had some acting still to do.
Quickly shutting off the power of his motor-cycle as he reached the
other roof, Joe alighted from the saddle. Running to the cover of the
inside stairway, he pried it off, thus releasing the policemen. They at
once scattered to pursue the escaping robbers.
That ended Joe's part in the moving picture play, though in response
to the yells and calls from the street below he appeared at the
edge of the roof and waved his hand. A multitude of hands, hats and
handkerchiefs were waved back to him.
"Congratulations, my boy!" said Mr. Potter, when he had rejoined Joe,
the other camera men continuing to take the following scenes in what
afterward proved to be a thrilling picture. "You did it magnificently."
"Oh, it wasn't so hard after I got started," said Joe. "Now I'd like to
get some of this grease paint off my face."
"Yes. You're not used to it," assented Mr. Potter.
That evening and the next day the papers contained accounts of Joe's
ride, and he received a lot of good advertising out of it, as well as
the five hundred dollars. This last was very welcome, as Joe had no
bookings for the next week.
He determined to remain in New York until he had to go to a distant
county fair, for he had been told he might have a preliminary view of
himself in the moving pictures, and he was anxious to see them.
It was toward the close of the week that Joe received another visit. He
was in his hotel room when a card was brought to him by a bell-boy. The
card bore the name of Mr. James Tracy.
"James Tracy!" exclaimed Joe. "I hope it's Jim Tracy, the ring-master
in Sampson Brothers' Circus."
He found it was, a little later, when his visitor came up in response
to Joe's invitation.
"Jim Tracy!" cried Joe, shaking hands. "I'm glad to see you!"
"Same here, my boy! You look the same as ever."
"And how's the circus?"
"Oh, she's fine, Joe. Notice how I said 'she'?"
Joe blushed but did not reply.
"I've been reading about you, Joe," went on the ring-master. "You
certainly have 'em all sitting up and taking notice around New York. I
never saw better press notices."
"Yes, they are pretty good."
"Now say, Joe, you haven't signed any contracts, have you?" asked Mr.
Tracy earnestly.
"Contracts? No. That is, only for a week ahead. I'm due in Akron next
week."
"That's good!" exclaimed the other. "Then don't sign anything more,
Joe. Don't make any more engagements."
"Why not?"
"Because we want you, Joe. Sampson Brothers' Circus wants you. We want
you back in the circus. We've got to have a thrilling act, and yours is
the best in the country. Will you join us again, Joe?"